Matrix



Julie 25, 1929.

H. R. FREUND MATRIX Filed Dec. 17, 1927 A TTORNEYS.

35 ordinary typewritten matter.

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,718,921 PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN R. FREUND, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T INTERTYPE CORPORA-TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MATRIX.

Application fi1ed December 17, 1927. Serial No. 240,896.

The present invention relates to improve- 'ments in matrices of the kindused in typo-- graphical machines, and more especially matrices of thekind used in machines of the gen- 5 eral class shown and described inLetters Patent No. 436,532 granted September 16, 1890, to O.Mergenthaler, wherein the matrices are delivered from a magazineunderthe control of a key-board and are assembled into a composed line fromwhich a type bar or slug is cast, the latter bearing along its edge atype face which is a reproduction of the type characters borne by thematrices.

In modern printing, there is a demand for a type face which is capableof producing a printed impression which will simulatein appearance theordinary type-written character.

The ordinary typewritten character is printed by making the impressionfrom the type through an interposed fabric inking ribbon, thetypewritten character, in consequence, bearing an irregular orrelatively indefinite demarkation between it and the surrounding surfaceon which it is printed, and this characteristic of typewrittencharacters readily distinguishes them from the more definitely andregularly outlined direct printed character as used in ordinaryprinting.

In the production of form letters and other advertising matter, it isusually desirable to print them from type bars or slugs of the kindwhich can be produced in typographical machines of-the classhereinbefore referred to, the printed matter to have the appearance ofthis has been done by producing in a typographical machine of the classhereinbefore referred to,'type bars or slugs bearing characters whichare similar in configuration to an the ordinary typewritten characters,and by a printing from the slugs, through a silk ink bearing ribbon onto the paper or other mate rial, the resulting imprinted charactershaving the ape'parance of-the usual typewritten 415 characters. However,such a method of printing required a specially prepared machine to feedthe ribbon between the slugs and the surface to be printed and such amethod is very expensive, and hence it is desirable to so avoid theseobjections by printing directly from the slugs on to the paper or othersur face, and attempts have been made to accomplish this, although theresults heretofore obtained have been unsatisfactory.

The object of the present invention is to Heretofore,

an interposed ink-bearing ribbon, and the resulting printed characterswill be similar in appearance to typewritten characters.

The preferred matrix character and method of making it are illustratedin'the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken vertically through the mouth piece,mold and a composed line of matrices, illustrating the manner in whichthe type bars or slugs may be cast in a typographical machine Fig. 2 isa detail perspective view showing 7 on an enlarged scale the matrixbearing a character produced in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a type bar or slug bearing typecharacters produced in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in whichthe character is formed in the ordinary matrix by the ordinary punchingtool or die;

Fig. 5 isa detail view of a portion of the punching tool or die employedin producing the improved matrix character, showing a step in the methodof preparing the punching tool or die for the production of the improvedmatrix character; p

' Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but it illustrates the method offorming the improved matrix character by a punching tool or die formedand prepared as illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken perpendicularly through theprinting face of an ordinarily type" bar, illustrating the nature of theprinting face on the ordinary type bar or slug produced in the usualline casting ma- In the present instance, the accompanying composed lineof matrices 10 is contained between .the jaws of the usual firstelevator 11, the latter positioning the matrix line in front of the moldso that the type-forming characters 12 in the rear edges of the matriceswill be alined with the mold cavity 9 so that when molten metal isinjected into the mold cavity through the metal pot mouth-piece, a

* type bar or slug will be cast in the mold cavityand the front edge ofthe type bar will bear type characters which are reproductions of thecharacters borne by the matrices, as is well understood in the art.

In matrices of the kinds heretofore used in ordinary printing, thebottoms or inner surfaces of the cavities which form the characters 12are flat, smooth, and perpendicular to the fiat sides of the matrices,so that the printing characters 13 of the ordinary type bar or slug 14,which are cast in such cavities, will have printing faces 16 which areflat, smooth and lie in a plane which is parallel to the length of thetype bar or slug, as will be clearfrom' Figure 7 A printed impressionmade directly from such a type bar or slug, after inkingthe printingface 16 in the usual way, will com rise printed characters the outlinesof whic 1 are very definite and form a sharp marginal demarkationbetween the printed character and the surrounding surface on which it isrinted. Consequently matter printed direct ly from type bars or slugsbearing the ordinary type. characters is readily distinguishable fromtypewritten matter, and hence will not serve as a good substitute therfor.

In manufacturing matrices bearing characters of the ordinary kind, thecharacter is formed in intaglio in the edge of the matrix by a punchingtool or die 20 the characterforming part 21 of which has a nose or face23 which is smooth, flat and perpendicular to the flat side of thematrix, as is shown in Fig. 4, so that the intaglio character formed inthe matrix as a counterpart of the punching tool or die will have abottom or inner surface which is smooth, flat, and perpendicular to theflat side of the matrix, and in consequence the charactersreproducedfrom such matrices on thetype bars or slugs will have smooth fiatprinting faces 16 which are parallel to the length of the slug, as isshown in Figure 7 The present invention enables a type face to beproduced which, when impressed d1-.

rectly on a printing surface will produce a character which simulatesthe appearance of a typewritten character, and the improved type facemay be produced rapidly and economically in an ordinary line castingmachine, by providing the matrices with novel and appropriate charactersfrom which such type face is cast. Accordin to the present invention,each matrix, which may otherwise be of the usual form, receivesits'type-forming cavity 12 from a punching tool or die 20" thecharacter-forming face 23 of which is composed of ribs in relief whichoutline the character, the printing face of these ribs being roundedthroughout the extent of the ribs in a direction transverse to thedirections in which the ribs extend. The rounded faces of the ribs ofthe punch are roughened by pressing these faces against a stone, file orother medium 21 which has lines or irregularities thereon, indicated at25, pressure of the punching tool or die against the roughened surface24: of the stone, tile or other medium producing minute depressions orroughened portions in the convex or rounded faces of the ribs whichoutline the character on the punching tool or die. The punching tool ordie thus prepared is then forced into the edge of the matrix in theusual manner known to those skilled in the art, to produce the typecasting character in intaglio therein, and the bottom or inner surfaceof this cavity in the matrix will be rounded or concave in a directiontransverse to the directions in which the grooves outlining the character extend, and this concave surface will be roughened as it is acounterpart of the roughened convex surface of the ribs in relief on thepunching tool from which the cavity in the matrix is formed. Preferably,the deepest portions of the inner concave surface of the characterformed in the matrix are located at the depth occupied by the entireflat inner surface of the character in ordinary matrices, and themarginal portions of the inner concave surface will be at a relativelyless depth.

Matrices provided with type-forming cavities as just described may beassembled in line casting machines of the class hereinbefore referred toand type bars or slugs may be cast from them in the usual way. However,instead of the print faces of the characters in relief on the type baror slug being flat and smooth, like the surfaces 16 on the type barshown in Figure 7, the printing faces which stand in relief from thetype bar will be convex or rounded on an axis transverse to thedirections in which the ribs extend, as is indicated at 26 in Figs. 3and 8. For example, if the middle of the ribs outlining the printingface of the character is made of full height the marginal portions ofprinting faces 26 of the t the ribs, will' be of less or relativelyreduced he1 ht.

'I he type bars or slugs cast from the improved matrices may be mountedin a suitable form, ink applied to their printing faces and animpression may be made on a sheet of paper or other surface 27, theimpression being made direct from the type bars on to the surface to berinted. The printed impressions are ma e by the rounded or convex e baror slug, and due to the convexity 0 these faces, less pressure will beproduced between the printing surface 27 and the marginal portions ofthe printing faces 26 than is produced between the printing surface andthe middle or apex portions of the printing faces, and hence themarginal portions of the printed im res sions made on the printingsurface 27 will be somewhat indefinite or not sharply outlined, thussimulating the indefinite outlines of the ordinary typewrittencharacters. Further-- more, while the middle or apex portion of therounded or convex printing face 26 will produce the full or maximumpressure against the printingsurface 27 so that the body por tions ofthe printed characters will be efl'ec tively outlined, the apex portionof the printing aces, which are roughened, will produce minuteirregularities in the body portions of the printed characters, theseirregularities in the printed character resembling the irregularitiesappearing in typewritten characters due to the interposition of theinking ribbon between the 'ty e and the printing surface. The inde niteoutlining of the printed characters, due to the reduced pressure withwhich the marginal portions of the printin faces of the type bar arepressed against t e printing surface, which avoids a sharp marginaldemarkation between the printed characters and the surrounding printingsurface, as obtained from the ordinary type bar or slug, and the minuteirregularities in the distribution of the ink which prints the bodyportions of the 'char- 1 acters, as distinguished from the solid anduniform distribution of the ink in the characters printed from the usualtype bar or slug, produce printed characters 28 which, as will be clearfrom Fig. 9, are similar in appearance to the ordinary typewrittencharacters. i

The herein described type-forming character for matrices such as thoseused in ordinary line casting machines enables type bars or slugs havingthe improved printing faces thereon to be made in ordinary line castingmachines with the same speed and facility as ordinary type bars orslugs, and the printed or other impressions may be made from theimproved type bars or slugs, as is com- .mon in ordinary printing,although the print ed matter will resemble or have the characteristicsof typewritten matter.

I claim as my invention 1. A matrix for the casting of type therefrom inline casting machines comprising a body having in an edge thereof a typecharacter-forming cavity the inner character butlining face of which isconcave in a direction transverse to that in which thecharacter-outlining portions of the cavity extend.

2. A matrix for the casting oftype there from in line casting machinescomprising a body having in an edge thereof a type char acter-formincavity t 1e inner character outlining face 0 which is roughened.

3. A matrix for line casting machines having a type character formingcavity therein the innerface of which is concave in a directiontransverse'to that in which the character-outlining portions of thecavity extend and is roughened, the deepest portion of said concave facebeing entirely roughened and the roughenin diminishing as the depth ofsaid concave ace decreases.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set In hand.

y HERMAN- R. FREUND.

